as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall back
The position has now fallen back below the 50-day moving average.
—
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Without those moments, Arsenal have fallen back on set pieces and defending.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The result is a fashion movie that takes the art at its center for granted, a work of radical narrative freedom which falls back on last season’s tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
After a couple of minutes, the booster separated with Starship, falling back to Earth to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico as planned a few minutes later.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Without those moments, Arsenal have fallen back on set pieces and defending.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The result is a fashion movie that takes the art at its center for granted, a work of radical narrative freedom which falls back on last season’s tropes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
After a couple of minutes, the booster separated with Starship, falling back to Earth to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico as planned a few minutes later.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fall back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall back
Verb
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Hulst and Toomey decided to withdraw from the mile at the State meet.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Generally, the pre-tax money that’s deposited in traditional IRAs cannot be withdrawn before age 59½ without paying a 10% early-withdrawal tax penalty, unless an exception is met.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Instead of retreating from global trade, many small and mid-sized companies are leaning in and even accelerating global expansion.—
Greg Hewitt,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Wilson told the outlet that Junie knows her way home, adding that the cat could be dropped back off at the family's property.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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The decision was made to neutralise GC timings ahead of the final circuit — effectively taking times with 16km remaining — allowing the favourites to drop back before the speed increased further, while also improving safety by reducing the size of the peloton.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Here's a look at which performers have pulled out and those that are still set to take the stage.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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At the time of the crash, Funes-Barajas’ mother told the news station KTVU that her son was pulling out of a relative’s driveway when the Mustang struck his vehicle.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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After teaching at Bard College for over two decades, Sante has retired from academia and lives in Kingston, New York.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Deputy Public Defender Carlos Bido said in court that Perry is retired and received an honorable discharge from the military.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20back. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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